US-South Korea joint naval exercise to increase pressure on North

The US will conduct joint naval exercises with South Korea in the Yellow Sea, the Pentagon announced tonight as the two countries revealed measures to increase pressure on North Korea over a torpedo attack which sank a Southern warship.

The announcement of the exercises, which will test the two countries' ability to detect their enemy submarines and prevent shipments of nuclear materials, is the first concrete US response to the crisis triggered by the sinking of the Cheonan in March, with the loss of 46 lives. An international panel of experts concluded last week in that North Korea torpedoed the South Korean warship .

Barack Obama ordered US forces to co-ordinate with their South Korea counterparts "to ensure readiness and to deter future aggression" by North Korea, a spokesman said.